A Chance Meeting
by crono23
Summary: After years of Lucy being indirectly tormented by Sandy, a small talk between the two of them forms an unlikely friendship.
1. Solace

In the darkness of her room, Lucy sat on her bed, deep in thought.

It was snowing lightly outside. She could easily leave the house for a moment, if just to take her mind off things. Yet, she had no intention to. Instead she continued sitting and staring at the floor, trying in vain not to think about the words Mike had said to her.

 _"You're a parasite."_

 _"Nobody can love you for who you are."_

 _"I HATE YOU!"_

Lucy shuddered as she recollected the things he had said. It was one thing to be called things. It was another to know they were completely true. She wanted to scream, cry, maybe find Mike and punch his face in, but she simply had no inspiration to. So she continued sitting, hardly batting an eye as she heard the door to her room open.

"Lucy?" It was her mom. "You've been inside almost a week, shouldn't you go outside at least once?"

"I don't want to." Lucy replied blankly.

She heard her mom sigh. "Look, I know you're feeling down, but a walk might help cheer you up..."

"It won't."

To her annoyance, her mother refused to give up. "Well...I got an invitation in the mail earlier...your friend Tessa's having a Christmas party tonight..."

"I'm not going."

"Lucy please. You need to get out of the house eventually. I'm getting worried about you."

Lucy bowed her head. "If I go will you leave me alone?"

"...Yes." Her mother sighed again. "Party's at six." And with that she left the room and closed the door, leaving Lucy in solitude once again.

Meanwhile, in a different part of town, Mike was lying on his bed, phone next to him, having a far better time than Lucy.

"You sure this won't be cutting it close?" He asked nervously. "I mean I thought it was hard en-"

"Nope!" Sandy's cheery voice cut him off. "I'm already in the area. Just a quick schedule change and I'll be able to see you at your friend's party!"

Mike smiled warmly upon hearing the good news, but it quickly faded as he realized something. "...Riiiiight, but that means the original date is still off, right?"

"Yeah, sorry, that _is_ cutting it close..." Her voice grew somber, but quickly switched back to sounding happy. "...But it's still seeing you either way!"

Feeling the call had run it's course, Mike slowly sat up and took his phone in his hands. "Well, I'll see you later tonight, have a safe trip!"

"You too! I love you Maishul!"

"Awww! Bye!"

As soon as he ended the call, Mike flopped back on his bed, heart fluttering with joy. It was nice enough hearing her voice, but the prospect of seeing her later in the day nearly sent him through the roof.

However, his spirits began to sink as he absently checked the clock near him. 1:37. Over five hours until he'd get to see Sandy. Disgruntled, he began to tuck himself under the sheets, trying to think of a way to occupy himself until then. However, as he continued thinking, a brief loss of concentration made a certain someone cross his mind.

Lucy.

Immediately, his brow furrowed in anger as he realized he might run into her at the party. She had already ruined enough of his life, he wasn't going to let her ruin his meeting with Sandy. Unfortunately, he could do nothing but hope and pray she didn't come. A prospect that seemed more and more likely as he remembered the things he said to her a few days earlier.

Satisfied for the moment, Mike returned to thinking of ways to occupy himself, gradually growing drowsy and eventually dozing off while the time of the party slowly drew near.

While Mike slept, Lucy stared out the window back at her house, watching the snowflakes fall for a few minutes before flopping back on her bed and staring up at the ceiling. She checked her clock. A little over five hours until the party. She sighed silently to herself, dreading the time she would be expected to leave for the party.

* * *

Eventually, Mike was slowly roused from his peaceful sleep. After a brief moment for his brain to catch up to him he shot up straight in fear and glanced at the clock. To his great relief there were only a few minutes left until the party.

After taking a moment to awaken a bit more, Mike began to haul himself out of his bed, only to gain a burst of energy as he remembered he'd be seeing Sandy later. Ecstatic with anticipation, Mike hurriedly used the bathroom, donned his signature blue scarf, coat, and a pair of snow boots, then flew down the stairs, stopping only to tell his parents where he'd be.

While Mike sprinted down the street toward Tess's party, Lucy had only just left her house. Slowly she set off down the street, paying little attention to anything except the ground in front of her. Her thick fur kept the cold away, but she silently wished it didn't. At least then she would have something to care about.

Still she pressed onward, driven only by the fact that angering her mother would probably be worse. Despite this, she still did not want to attend the party at all and considered simply sitting on a park bench until she felt it had been long enough.

Meanwhile Mike was nearing the end of his run, stopping to catch his breath just outside the gates of Tess's mansion. He briefly scanned the area, but saw no sign of Sandy and deduced she was either already inside, or late.

Mike sighed silently and shook his head. Either way he'd be seeing her. Mike quickly readjusted his scarf and walked up the steps to knock on the door. A few seconds passed while he waited for someone to answer the door, until Sue eventually opened it.

"Oh hey Mike! You're pretty early."

Mike raised an eyebrow. "Huh, really?"

Sue nodded. "Yeah, before it was just me, Amaya, and Tess. Don't know where the others are at."

Mike shrugged and stepped through the open door. "I'm sure they won't be too long."

Once the door was firmly shut, Mike began to remove his snow boots while Sue watched idly. "So..." She decided to ask. "What's new?"

"Well..." Mike looked up at her, huge grin on his face. "...Sandy'll be coming to visit soon!"

Sue's bored expression suddenly perked up. "Huh. Today?"

"Yep!"

"...Here?"

"Yep!"

Sue whistled and smiled slyly. "Heh, congratulations!"

"I knoooow!" Mike squealed excitedly. "I haven't seen her in so long! I just know it's gonna be perfect!"

Sue silently rolled her eyes at the semi-sickening display and began to walk back into the main room. "Well good luck then!"

Mike smiled in return and began to follow her, only to be interrupted by a knock on the door. Immediately his heart began to pound excitedly as he rapidly opened the door, anticipating Sandy to be on the other side.

Instead, Lucy's dead eyes stared back.

Immediately his eyes shruck to pinpricks and his blood ran cold. Everything was seemingly perfect and now she was here to ruin it all? Mike felt his free hand clench into a fist as he tried to think of something to do.

"Wh-what the hell are you doing here‽"

Lucy appeared to flinch slightly. "My mom made me come." She replied flatly.

Mike frantically checked behind him. Sue was gone and she didn't appear to have heard him. He stared back at Lucy's emotionless face, as anger began to overcome him.

"Well...look." He said coldly. "Sandy's coming in a few minutes. Don't you dare try anything alright? This is supposed to be perfect and I don't want you ruining it."

Quickly Lucy stared at the floor, unwilling to show her face to Mike. "Sure." She said, and walked right past him, trying not to show emotion as he stared at her scrutinizingly.

Mike felt a tiny twinge of regret as he watched her somberly walk away. It was quickly forgotten though as he looked out the door to see if Sandy had arrived yet. Paulo and Jasmine were playing in the yard, but Sandy was still nowhere to be seen. Slowly, Mike closed the door, a bit less hopeful than before.

While Mike attempted to enjoy the rest of the party, Lucy decided to isolate herself on a couch in the corner of the living room, right in front of a roaring fireplace, flames dancing wildly on a set of blackened logs.

Lucy attempted to get comfortable. The fire was warm and the cushions were comfy, but her mind was too occupied to truly relax. Sandy was visiting. The very girl that had indirectly ruined her life was going to be attending the same party she was at.

Lucy grimaced as her mind flashed with images of what could have been - everything from simple walks through the park to settling down. Maybe even having a family. Dreams that would never happen because Mike would rather have someone a hundred miles away than her.

Her eyes grew damp, but tears did not flow freely. She was too depressed to even cry. Instead Lucy attempted to focus on the warmth of the fire, while her broken mind silently cursed Sandy for the pain she had brought.

Slowly the minutes turned into hours. More people arrived and went about dancing, singing, and generally enjoying the party. All except for Lucy, who was still reflecting in front of the fire, and Mike, who grew increasingly worried that Sandy would not arrive.

However, just as Mike began to despair, he was interrupted by a knock at the door. He slowly walked over, anticipating another late guest to be at the door, but as soon as he opened it his eyes shot open as he stared into the eyes of an angel.

"Hi Maishul!"

Immediately Mike's heart began to melt as Sandy rushed forward and smothered him with a huge hug. Several of his friends watched the display, including Lucy who just as quickly looked back at the fireplace.

Lucy covered her face with her hands. The sickening display of affection she just witnessed was more than enough to break her heart even further and she gritted her teeth to hold back cries of anguish.

Gradually Lucy uncovered her face, emotions controlled once more. Curious she glanced behind her, only to be met with the sight of Sandy still hugging Mike. Lucy shuddered and forced herself to stay focused on the fire before her mood deteriorated any further.

Eventually Mike and Sandy finally separated, a huge smile on both of their faces. The two continued staring into each other's eyes for a few seconds, while Mike's friends waited from a distance for something more to happen.

"So..." Sandy giggled. "Sorry I'm so late...didn't think the weather would be this bad..."

Mike waved a hand dismissively. "It's fine. All that matters is that you're here!"

"Heh, true." Sandy briefly looked behind him curiously. "...So I'm guessing those are your friends?"

Mike quickly looked over his shoulder. Nearly all his friends stood a few feet away, watching expectantly. "Oh!" Mike laughed nervously. "Right, well..."

* * *

Eventually another hour came and went. While few people left the party, it was apparent it was beginning to die down. While Lucy continued sitting on the same couch, blocking out the rest of the world, Mike and Sandy simply enjoyed themselves, chatting, getting reacquainted, and even dancing at one point.

For Mike, it was one of the best nights of his life. Simply being in the same room as Sandy made his heart flutter with joy and every word she spoke felt smoother than silk. The fact that she would eventually leave persisted in the back of his head, but he did everything he could to purge said thought and did his best to enjoy the short time they had together.

But for Sandy, something felt a bit off. While it was a pleasure to reconvene with Mike, she noticed he seemed strangely energetic. A few days earlier he didn't seem quite as ecstatic and Sandy slowly began to suspect something had happened.

At first Sandy was content, feeling happy for him at his sudden change of mood. But occasionally she would get a glimpse of a strangely familiar white cat sitting on a couch in the corner of the room, feeding her curiosity even further. Eventually Sandy grew too curious and decided to inquire further.

"Say Maishul..." She began to ask. "...Who's that girl in the corner? She seems familiar somehow..."

Immediately after hearing those words, Mike swallowed wrong. The punch he had been drinking seconds before got stuck in his throat, causing him to cough profusely. Sandy watched anxiously while Mike recovered from the shock of being asked about Lucy.

"You okay..?"

"Yeah..." Mike swallowed hard."W-Well...I...I've told you about Lucy...right?" Mike asked shakily.

"Yeah..." Sandy said slowly. "...She's the one that was hitting you, right?"

"Yeah. She is." The vitriol was apparent in Mike's words as he quickly recalled years of horrible memories. A few tense seconds passed until Mike shot up straight in realization. "Ah! D-don't worry, there's nothing between us, alright? I broke ties with her a few days ago...she didn't take it well, but..."

Sandy stared back at Lucy. Her ears were flat and she slumped towards the floor. "I suppose..." Sandy replied absentmindedly. She was not at all convinced that Mike was telling her everything. Mike began to nervously walk towards the kitchen, Sandy watching as he did so. She considered following him, but after looking back at Lucy again, Sandy felt talking with her was necessary.

Meanwhile Lucy was starting to have enough of the party. At first it was simply about fulfilling her mother's wishes, but now painful memories came back every time she even thought about Sandy. She had been sitting in the same spot for two hours, her mother would be satisfied enough if she didn't stay for the rest of it. However, as she moved to get up, she noticed a very certain someone walking her way.

Lucy paused and steeled herself. It would probably just be a short conversation. But as she looked at Sandy's oh-so-innocent looking face, Lucy began to feel a sense of dread.

"Hey there. You're Lucy, right?" Sandy asked innocently.

Lucy quickly looked away. "Yeah..."

"Mind if I sit next to you? You seem kind of lonely..."

Lucy shrugged indifferently. Sandy was momentarily confused, but considered it reason enough to join her. Lucy looked away to hide her face as the source of her suffering happily sat down beside her.

"So..." Sandy tried to think of a conversation starter. "...I've heard a lot about you from Mike-"

"So he's actually talked about me, huh?" Lucy cut her off, still refusing to show her face. "Was any of it actually good?"

"Yeah..." Sandy's smile vanished as she stared forward. "...At first. Now he hardly talks about you...and when he does he just...doesn't care what he says about you I guess..."

Lucy drew one of the couch pillows close to her and buried her head in it. "Figures."

Sandy quickly took note. "Eh? Something happen between you two?"

"...You could say that..." Lucy replied, voice full of sorrow.

"You uhh...wanna talk about it?"

Lucy laughed dryly. "Heh. Like you'd understand."

"Try me."

Lucy growled slightly as she stood up straight and brought the pillow close to her chest. She blinked a few times as her eyes began to grow damp, but still kept them out of Sandy's sight. "I'm not telling you."

Sandy furrowed her brow. "And why not?"

Lucy gritted her teeth as the tears in her eyes slowly began to pick up. "Not. Telling."

"Lucy...it's obvious something's wrong." Sandy tried to be sympathetic. "I don't like to see someone suffer if I can't help it."

That was the last straw. Suddenly Lucy was inches from Sandy's face, snarling while tears streamed down her face. "Funny you should say that, because _that's exactly what you did to me!_ "

Sandy immediately recoiled. "E-excuse me..‽"

Lucy sniffed as she wiped the tears from her eyes, then stared towards the floor. "...You're not the only one who loves him..." She said meekly.

Realization soon dawned on Sandy's face and she gasped as she realized exactly what Lucy was saying. "You...you mean..?"

"Yes!" Lucy sobbed. "I loved him so much...then you had to come along and ruin it. By the time I finally told him he...he..." Lucy failed to complete her sentence, instead burying her head in the pillow once more, quickly dampening it as she continued crying.

Sandy brought her arm close to her chest, unsure of how to try and comfort the girl crying next to her. "Lucy I...I'm sorry...I didn't-"

"That's not all." Lucy cut her off. "After he rejected me...He kept ignoring me for months...Somehow I managed to get over it...but then...just a few days ago I tried to be friends with him again and..." Her voice trailed off.

A few tense seconds passed. "...And what Lucy?" Sandy asked softly.

Lucy swallowed hard as she attempted to prepare herself for what she was about to say next. Every terrible thing Mike had said to her came rushing back, threatening to make her break down yet again. "...It seemed to be going well, but then...then he got a text from you...I tried to be happy for him, I really did, but then..." Lucy grit her teeth, "...he snapped..."

Lucy paused briefly, trying her hardest to continue speaking. "He said he hated me...that I was never his friend. That I was a parasite...and that he was going to take away everyone I ever loved..." As soon as Lucy finished she gave up on holding it in. The innocent pillow below her was shoved into her face once more as she began sobbing profusely.

Sandy was aghast. Hearing Lucy tell her everything was horrifyingly eye-opening, yet she found herself unable to do anything more than stare as Lucy stained the pillow and her fur coat with ounces of pent-up memories. "He...he really said all that?"

Lucy nodded painfully. "And th-then s-some...But...P-please don't m-make me tell y-you all of it..."

For a while the two cats sat and reflected. Lucy continued crying her heart out into the pillow, which was now soaked with her tears. Sandy just watched sadly, thinking hard about the implications of what Lucy had said. She didn't want to believe that the things Lucy told her were true, but she could think of no other reason why Lucy was acting as she did.

Eventually after minutes of silence, Sandy finally made a move to try and comfort Lucy. "Lucy I...I'm so sorry...I didn't think he would actually-"

"I don't want your pity." Snapped Lucy. "He's not the only one that did this to me you know..."

"...Really?" Sandy ask worriedly. "Who else?"

"I'm talking to her." Lucy replied coldly.

Sandy cowered slightly as she realized what Lucy was saying. Regret washed over her as she began to think about just how much she had affected Lucy's life. Eventually she looked back over at Lucy and made another attempt to comfort her. "I...I can understand why you'd hate me Lucy, but..." Sandy sighed and looked away again. "I never thought this would happen, alright? I never _wanted_ any of this to happen..."

Slowly Lucy's sniffling began to die down until she finally brought herself under control again. She stared over at Sandy, noting how she seemed mournful herself. Steadily Lucy inched closer to an unsuspecting Sandy and reluctantly rested her head against Sandy's shoulder.

Sandy jumped slightly at the sudden feeling and stared down at Lucy. Lucy stared back up at her, the sadness not completely gone from her eyes. Sandy's heart ached at the sight and she wrapped her arm around Lucy's shoulders in an attempt to console her. The two felines sat and embraced each other for a while, both still deep in thought after Lucy had opened up.

Their cathartic embrace was cut short, as a gasp of horror and the sound of something splashing against the floor came from behind them. The two quickly looked over their shoulders and Sandy's face fell as she stared into Mike's terrified eyes.

Lucy immediately turned back and ducked down, trying her best to avoid the person who had brought her so much pain. Mike did not react. He was too busy trying to make sense of what he was seeing. "S-sandy? What are you..?" He somehow managed to stutter.

Sandy's expression quickly vanished, replaced with anger and disbelief. "Michael? How...how could you say those things to her?"

Mike was dumbfounded. "She...she told you..?"

"Yeah." Sandy nodded grimly. "And I want to know just what the _hell_ you were thinking!"

Seeing Sandy angry for once brought out something different in Mike. His ears pinned themselves backward and his eyes sunk slightly. Sandy's face was full of broken trust, a sight which made Mike begin to dread what was coming.

Desperately, Mike tried to salvage the situation. "Sandy please, don't believe her! I wasn't that hard on her! Honest!"

Sandy opened her mouth to respond, but she quickly was cut off as Lucy spun back around, her face equally angry. "Not that hard?" Lucy asked. "Mike," Her face quickly molded into fear, "...do you have any idea what you did to me..?"

Mike's brow furrowed in anger and he stared at Lucy. "I didn't ask for your opinion." He growled, only to jump in surprise as Sandy's arm swung between the two of them.

"Stop, please!" Sandy cried. "Haven't you hurt her enough?"

Mike quickly recoiled, staring deep at Sandy's face. The hurt expression on her face made him stop and consider his actions seriously for a second. Only to have his train of thought interrupted as Paulo's voice called out through the silence.

"Alright, what the hell's going on here?"

Mike looked over his shoulder. Over a dozen people, including his friends were staring at him, each equally curious as to what was going on. Fear began to grow in Mike's heart as he realized everyone wanted a thorough explanation. He looked back at the couch, eyes snapping open as Sandy seemed to have disappeared.

He looked over towards the exit. Sandy was slowly putting on her coat. Eager for a reason to leave everyone else, Mike ran over, hoping dearly it wasn't too late.

"Sandy, please!" Mike begged. Sandy only looked up at him dully, making him briefly stop talking to gulp. "I...I'm sorry, okay? I didn't think she'd actually tell you..."

Sandy sighed, disappointment clear in her voice. "I'm not the one you should be apologizing too."

Mike's heart felt like it was being kicked, but he still tried one last time to salvage something."W-wait! We're still together though, r-right?"

Sandy paused again and looked back at him. "I don't know." She said flatly and opened the door to the outside, slowly stepping through while Mike watched, heart shattering with each step she took.

Slowly she disappeared down the path, not bothering to look back. Mike watched sullenly, trying hard to hold back tears. He leaned against the doorframe and covered his face with his hands, regret washing over him as he realized just how badly he had messed up.

Eventually Mike recovered slightly and he quickly remembered everyone else in the other room. Frantically he reached for his snow boots, but before he could grab them he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Mike looked over his shoulder in fear. Sue stared daggers back at him. "Just what the hell did you say to her Mike?"

Mike stared down at his snow boots. It was too late to put them on. He'd have to come back another time. Instead, he laughed nervously and took off down the steps, running as fast as he could to get away from his friends and whoever else wanted an explanation out of him.

The party disbanded quickly after. People left rapidly, until the only two people that remained were Lucy and Tess, the latter of whom was busy trying to seduce a christmas tree, too drunk to realize said task was impossible.

Eventually Lucy picked herself off the couch. She had been sitting in nearly the same position for over two hours and stumbled around briefly from the stiffness in her legs. Slowly she made her way to the entryway, still pensive over what had happened earlier.

As she closed the door behind her, she stared up into the night sky. Clouds blocked the moon and patches of sky, while snow fell lightly all around. She sighed to herself and walked down the steps, refusing to look up from the ground.

By the time she came to the sidewalk, Lucy stared around a bit. The streetlights illuminated the street while a few cars passed by occasionally. Lucy turned to go home, only to stop as she heard someone call her name.

"Hey Lucy! Wait up!" Lucy looked to her right. To her surprise, Sandy was running down the path towards her. Lucy waited patiently while Sandy caught up to her and took a moment to catch her breath.

"Here." Sandy held out her hand, a piece of paper resting on it. "Take it."

Lucy stared for a moment before she obliged. Written on the paper were two numbers, one labelled 'cell', the other 'home'. Lucy blinked in surprise and looked up at Sandy.

"I...I thought we should keep in touch..." Sandy told her. "After tonight, well...there's a lot to talk about...Call me tomorrow if you can, okay?"

Slowly Lucy's mouth curled into a smile. Not a dead one, but rather a small, weak, genuine smile. The first one since Mike had exploded at her. She reluctantly stepped forward a bit, but quickly eased up and embraced Sandy in a hug.

"...I never thought I'd be telling you this..." Lucy eventually spoke up, "...but...thank you Sandy..."

Sandy smiled softly to herself and returned the hug. Snow swirled all around them and the wind whistled softly as the two girls continued the warm embrace. A few seconds passed until finally the two felines separated, smiling warmly at each other.

"Well, my mom's waiting for me," Sandy said sadly, "but don't forget to call, alright?" Lucy nodded happily in response.

With that, the two separated, waving one last goodbye to each other before walking their own way down the sidewalk.

Halfway through her trek home, Lucy decided to pause and stare down at the piece of paper once more. Slowly she brought it closer to her chest and smiled to herself. There was still a lot of stuff to be said and things to do. But at least she had someone to help her along the way.

* * *

 **Hoooo boy, is there a lot to say about this fic.**

 **I might as well get it out of the way that this too is inspired. Special thanks to Mistletoe (by Gazara12) and Familial Relations (by my-dear-fangirl) for providing two ideas I wanted so much to explore:**

 **1\. Lucy and Sandy meet each other in person (Mistletoe)**

 **2\. Lucy-Sandy friendship (Familial Relations was going to touch on this, but then it never updated.)**

 **While both fics are favorites of mine, I felt they could be a bit more. One thing led to another and, well, here's that 'more'.**

 **I also want to mention this was an absolute joy to write. Most of my other fics were fun to write as well, but this is the first I didn't want to stop working on. I'd say a good 1/3rd to 1/2 of this fic was written in the span of 24 hours. It was that fun.**

 **Lastly, I had no idea I was capable of writing 4,491 words worth of non-stop cat drama. But I did. And it feels damn amazing.**


	2. Retribution

As the rising sun shone brighter and brighter through her window, Lucy gradually began to awake from her peaceful sleep, consciousness slowly washing over her. Unwilling to get up just yet, Lucy continued laying down in her comfy bed while images of the previous night began to return to her.

" _...don't forget to call, alright?_ "

Lucy blinked in confusion as the line ran itself through her head. Her mind, still half-asleep, failed to remember the source of said line, until finally the memories came rushing back to her.

Sandy.

It was a simple name, but to Lucy it was one that had brought her months worth of emotional pain. A name which had stolen away the heart of her best friend and indirectly caused him to snap at her. And now she was expected to find solace and friendship in the very person that had nearly ruined her life.

Lucy sighed and shook her head. A day earlier Sandy was completely unaware of everything that had happened. It didn't seem fair to continue hating her for what had happened, especially after her attempts to console Lucy.

 _Might as well..._ Lucy thought sadly, and she turned to look at her bedside table. A shaded lamp, phone, and piece of paper with Sandy's phone number all sat together on the piece of furniture. Lucy reached out a hand to grab the phone, only to pause in uncertainty.

 _Don't put it off._ She told herself. _She's trying to help you. She_ did _help you._

Lucy slowly nodded to herself as she recalled her talk with Sandy. She had been so understanding to Lucy's pain, even after knowing she was part of the cause of it.

Again Lucy reached for the phone, forcing herself to start dialing Sandy's home phone before she paused again. She brought the phone to her ear, heart beating faster as she waited tensely for Sandy to respond.

A few seconds passed, quiet save for the dialing sound of the phone. Still no response. Her mood slowly began to diminish and she motioned to put the phone away, until suddenly a familiar voice spoke out:

"Hello?"

Lucy opened her mouth to respond, only to pause, unsure of how to announce herself. "H-hey..." She finally managed to stutter, "...It's Lucy..."

"Lucy?" Sandy asked, a bit of cheerfulness in her voice. "Hey, you called!"

"Yeah..."

Sandy quickly took note of the slight sadness in Lucy's voice. "...You okay?" She asked with a hint of concern.

"Kinda..." Lucy sniffled slightly. "Don't worry, I'll be fine..."

"You don't sound fine..." Sandy replied worriedly.

"No no, don't mind me..." Lucy tried in vain to reassure her, hiccupping a bit as she spoke. "I don't want to bring you down too..."

"Lucy, you've been through a lot..." Sandy tried to comfort her. "If you need to talk, then go ahead."

Lucy sighed and bowed her head in defeat. "It's just...why are _you_ the one to comfort me?"

"What do you mean?" Sandy asked softly.

"After everything you've put me through...why do you care..?"

Sandy paused, then sighed. "I don't like seeing someone in pain Lucy, especially if I can help them."

Lucy sniffed. "...But you did this to me..."

"I never intended to hurt anyone Lucy. And I never thought Mike would snap like that. Please don't blame me for something I couldn't control..."

Silence fell between the two felines as both began to contemplate their discussion so far. Lucy leaned back in her bed and dried her eyes with her arm, while she tried to calm her sniffling. Eventually she managed to calm herself, yet she still felt a bit of dampness in the corners of her eyes.

"So..." Sandy eventually broke the silence. "Have you talked with Mike at all?"

"Not since the party." Lucy replied. "You?"

"No...I should probably call him though."

"Don't be too hard on him, please." Lucy pleaded.

"Err...why?" Sandy inquired.

"You mean a lot to him..." Lucy responded. "Even after what he did to me...I don't want to see him in pain..."

"That's pretty noble of you Lucy, but..." Lucy heard Sandy sigh quietly. "Well...there's a lot of things he needs to hear."

Lucy nodded to herself. "...I understand."

"I'll try to call you back when I'm done, alright?"

"Yeah...and...thanks again Sandy..."

"Anytime."

Lucy paused and stared down at the phone as she slowly returned it to the receiver. A smile began to form on her lips as Sandy's words of comfort ran themselves through her head again. Lucy gently leaned back in her bed and pulled the covers back over her, slowly returning to a peaceful sleep.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a different part of Roseville, Mike kneeled in front of his bed, staring fearfully at his phone. He couldn't stop thinking about the events of the previous night. He had long considered calling Sandy, but he had yet to actually do so, out of fear, sadness, and partial anger.

As tears began to build in his eyes, he clenched his free hand in anger. This was all Lucy's fault. She had already ruined enough of his life, now thanks to her, his relationship with Sandy was as good as dead.

His resentful thoughts were quickly cut short as his phone suddenly rang, causing him to jump and nearly throw his phone into the air. After a second to recover he quickly checked the caller, face falling as he read the screen.

It was Sandy.

Mike quickly began to panic. After the events of last night there was no way she would be calling him on friendly terms. Mike swallowed hard and forced himself to accept the call, shivering with dread as he brought the phone to his ear.

"H-hey Sandy..." He greeted her nervously.

"You have a lot to explain Michael." She replied coldly.

Mike cringed in response, both at her harsh tone of voice and the fact that she used his actual name. "L-look, what's there to talk about? I'm real sorry things turned out like-"

"Michael." She cut him off. "Am I really the right person to apologize too?"

"You don't still believe her, do you..?"

"Why do you have such an aversion to her?" She asked. "I know she used to hit you, but...you two also used to be such good friends. What happened?"

"A lot of stuff." He growled, years worth of painful memories rapidly returning to him.

"And in return you nearly ruin her life and call her a parasite."

"Well..." Mike tried in vain to defend himself, but quickly gave up. A slight twinge of regret fell over him as he slowly began to realize that maybe he _was_ somewhat unfair to Lucy.

"Sandy, look..." He finally said. " _Maybe_ I was a bit too hard on her, but...you don't know what she put me through..."

Mike heard her sigh. "I just never wanted you two to hate each other...Could you maybe _try_ apologizing to her?"

"How could I?" He asked solemnly. "I wouldn't mean any of it..."

"Why not?"

"I meant what I said to her." He growled in return.

"Even if she needed to be talked to, did you really have to say such awful things to her?" She asked, flustered. "How would you like to hear something like that in return, huh?"

The anger in Sandy's voice was slight, but enough to make Mike flinch. He opened his mouth in an attempt to form a defense, but quickly closed it as he could not conjure any words. Instead he shut his eyes, trying hard to block out both Sandy's words and his own thoughts.

Eventually she spoke up again. "So are you going to talk to her at all?"

"No." He quickly answered.

"Why not?" She asked just as quickly.

"There's no way I'm talking to her, Sandy." Mike's voice began to drip with anger. "She's a horrible person, alright? The only way to fix things is if she just _died._ " He finished coldly.

Immediately both cats fell silent. They refused to say anything to each other for a few seconds until finally Sandy broke the silence:

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

Mike's blood ran cold. It wasn't like her to swear and hearing her actually do it filled him with genuine fear. He closed his eyes once more, hoping desperately she wouldn't say what he thought she was going to say.

When Mike refused to respond, Sandy decided to continue. "How can you possibly act like you're in the right? First you ignore her after breaking her heart, then when she tries to be friends with you again you say...that...and now you act like it's her fault despite the fact that you've been a complete and utter _asshole_ to her."

The lack of emotion in her words caused Mike more fear than what she was actually saying. He stared at his phone in shock, nearly letting it drop from his hand as he tried in vain to say something in response.

Again she decided to respond for him. "I really don't understand it Michael...but if that's the way you want to be." She sighed defeatedly. "I really hope I was worth it..."

"S-sandy wait!" Mike tried one last time to stop her, but the only thing he heard was the click of her hanging her phone up. Mike stared forward in disbelief, slowly removing the phone from his ear as tears rapidly began to form in his eyes.

As the tears fell freely and regret washed over him, certain memories began to return to Mike. Various things that had been said to him ran themselves through his head, causing regret to crash over him like a tidal wave.

 _Don't leave..._

 _How can you justify ignoring a person in need just because you don't love her?_

 _Just what the hell did you say to her Mike?_

 _Haven't you hurt her enough?_

 _Do you have any idea what you did to me..?_

Mike tried in vain to block them out. He didn't want to accept it, yet deep down he knew it was all true. As he leaned back and covered his face with his hands, he whispered the only thing that came to mind:

"What have I done..."

For several minutes, Mike sat at the foot of his bed, deep in thought. Even after the tears had dried, he still sat, trying his absolute best to forget about how the way he treated Lucy had cost him so much.

Eventually he couldn't take it anymore. His room had began to feel like a prison. He needed to go outside, walk around, do something. Desperately he got up and put on his favorite coat before heading downstairs, doing his best to avoid his family as he slipped out of the house.

Once out of the house, Mike immediately began to walk down the sidewalk. He didn't care where he was going, he just needed to get away. It thankfully wasn't snowing, but the sidewalk was only partially shoveled, adding to his annoyance.

Still, he found it a welcome annoyance. He preferred to have something to be irritated by, rather than focus on the depressing thoughts that he had been unable to shake minutes earlier. A smile managed to form on his face as his mind gradually cleared.

Eventually his walk brought him upon a small bench on the side of the sidewalk. Unwilling to wander any longer, Mike sat down and began looking around, taking in the beautiful wintry scene and enjoying the distraction it provided.

However, after mere seconds of rest, Mike began to focus once again on what he had done. He quickly realized there was no point in trying to ignore it. He slumped towards the ground, beginning to sniffle a bit as memories of the things he had done began to tug at his heartstrings.

 _Would you mind if I said no?_

 _That was a quick rebound, make you feel better?_

 _Shut up and listen!_

 _I HATE YOU!_

 _This is supposed to be perfect and I don't want you ruining it._

As wave after wave of genuine guilt and regret began to flood over him, Mike made no effort to hide the second wave of tears. He no longer tried to convince himself he was in the right. Lucy had been his friend for years. He had loved her at one point and she did too.

And he had thrown it all away because of Sandy.

For Mike, minutes seemed to drag on for hours, yet the rest of the world proceeded as it had before, the occasional car or person passing, but neither giving more than a glance towards the pained Korat. Mike's tears eventually dried, but the sadness did not go with it and he spent several more minutes staring at the ground, wallowing in his own depressing thoughts.

Eventually Mike managed to return to a somewhat normal state, despite the struggle he was having with himself. Absently he stared up at the street signs. Lucy's house was just a few blocks down. He stared at the signs for a moment longer, thinking nothing of it, until a small amount of hope rapidly began to flare inside him.

Mike looked down the street. Lucy's house was not visible, but he definitely recognized the area as the place where she lived. Before any doubts could surface, Mike got up and began to dash down the street, a third bout of tears preparing in his eyes as he desperately hoped it wasn't too late.

* * *

 **Whoops, did that say 'complete' for a while? Well I didn't think Sandy and Lucy would be so fun to write for. There's still a little bit (a lot) left in store, but that'll have to wait till Christmas...**


	3. Amends

_So this is it..._

Mike stood in front of Lucy's house. He had only recently arrived and stared down the door, debating whether to knock or turn back in fear. He had already made the choice to apologize to Lucy, but actually doing so was another matter. One that filled him with terror.

Mike shuffled his feet, adjusted his coat, fiddled with his scarf, attempted to warm his hands. He did everything he could that did not involve walking up to the door and trying to get Lucy's attention. He silently cursed himself for his cowardice, but did nothing to change it.

Eventually, after what felt like minutes of fighting with himself, Mike finally scrapped up enough courage to slowly step forward towards the front door. Reaching out a shaky arm, Mike weakly knocked on the door for a few times before actually putting enough effort in to produce a noticeable sound.

Seconds passed. Mike's already low amount of courage rapidly dwindled as nothing happened. However, as Mike motioned to step away, the door opened slightly, revealing a white cat's head, similar to Lucy's, but not exact.

"H-hey Jordan..." Mike weakly greeted him.

Scowling, Jordan said nothing and motioned to close the door. Panicking suddenly, Mike shoved his foot between the door and its frame, hissing with pain as the unfortunate limb was smashed.

"Jordan, please..." He hissed through the pain. "I just want to talk to your sister..."

"You've said quite enough already." Came Jordan's response.

"Jordan, I want to _apologize_ to her." Mike pleaded.

Jordan seemed to pause, but still refused to let Mike push the door open. "And if you're lying?" Jordan inquired.

"Go ahead and do what you want..." Mike said remorsefully. "I deserve it anyway..."

A few seconds of silence passed until Jordan finally opened the door, revealing himself in full to Mike. The scowl wasn't gone from his face, but it was noticeably softer than before. "She's in her room. If she comes out of there worse than before, you know what happens." Stated Jordan.

Mike nodded somberly in acknowledgement and waited as Jordan stepped aside to let him pass. Coming to the foot of the stairs, Mike looked over his shoulder at Jordan's expecting face, swallowing hard as he began to ascend the stairs to Lucy's room.

As he came across the closed door to Lucy's room, Mike paused. His fear was nearly through the roof at this point. The only reason he didn't run was because his feet were stiff with the same fear, refusing to step forwards or backwards as he stared down the door, sweat pouring from his brow.

Slowly, Mike stuck out a hand to knock on her door, but quickly withdrew it. Terrified, Mike looked back down the stairs. Jordan wasn't visible, but he was no doubt still there. Mike had already came this far. To give up now would leave him with even more guilt than before. Maybe a bruise too, if Jordan wasn't satisfied with his reaction.

Again, Mike reached out his arm, knocking a few times and hoping it would be enough to capture her attention. Silently he waited, shuffling his feet as he waited for Lucy to answer the door. Sweat continued dripping from his forehead and he motioned to wipe some of it off.

And then Lucy opened the door.

The sudden action made Mike jump, inhaling sharply with fear. Lucy followed suit, emitting a high-pitched squeaking sound as she jerked away from the door. The two cats stared at each other for several seconds, eyes wide, while they both waited for their heart rates to return to normal.

Finally Lucy managed to blurt out something. "M-mike‽"

Mike smiled weakly in return, trying his best to look normal, despite the circumstances. "H-hey..."

Lucy slowly began to shuffle backwards, unwilling to be near the boy that had hurt her so much. Mike quickly took note, guilt level rising as he saw first-hand the result of his words. The smile disappeared from his face, replaced by a mournful gaze as he thought carefully about what to say to her.

"Lucy I..." Mike started slowly. "I just want to talk..."

"About what?" She asked worriedly. "Haven't you said everything you want to..?"

Mike winced, realizing she was fearful he might explode at her again. "N-no, not that..." He rubbed the back of his head, unsure of how to proceed. "...I..."

Unable to adequately voice his sentiments, Mike did the only thing he felt he could do. He rushed forward and hugged Lucy tightly, tears beginning to flow freely. Lucy stiffened, terrified, before easing a bit at hearing his muffled sobs in her fur.

"...I'm sorry Lucy..." He sobbed. "I'm so, so sorry..."

Confused and a bit scared, Lucy could do nothing more than stare down at the weeping Korat burying his head in her chest. She quickly realized his motives, but refused to do anything more, unsure of how to proceed.

Eventually Mike separated from Lucy, kneeling on the floor submissively. He stared up at her, anxiously waiting for some sort of response. Lucy only stared back.

After several seconds of the stare-down, Lucy finally found the courage to speak. "Mike are you...okay?" She asked cautiously.

Mike looked away and took his head in his hands "No..." He replied weakly.

Lucy sighed slightly and kneeled in front of him, placing a hand on his shoulder. He uncovered his face, cowering slightly as he stared into her eyes. "What's wrong?" She asked softly.

Again he looked away. "...You know..."

Lucy sighed again, her suspicions confirmed. She removed her hand from his shoulder and brought it close to her, as memories of the things he had said returned to her. It sill hurt, but seeing the person that had done it being presumably torn up by guilt caused her opinion of him to falter slightly.

"So..." Lucy attempted to carefully choose her words. "What caused you to...change your mind?"

"Sandy left me." Mike simply responded.

"She...did?" Lucy asked, taken aback.

"Yes..." Mike answered, sounding a little gloomier than before.

"Mike I'm...sorry..." She told him, unsure of what to say exactly.

Mike sighed. "Not like I don't deserve it..."

"No Mike, you...you don't deserve that..." She tried to comfort him.

"Why do you care?" He asked somberly. "I thought you wanted her gone..."

Now it was Lucy's turn to sigh. "At first, but...I never wanted you to be miserable...and, well..." She shuffled her hands and smiled softly, remembering her talk with Sandy the previous day. "...She is a nice person..."

Mike chuckled weakly. "So I guess you two are friends now..?"

"Yeah...I guess..." She replied apprehensively.

Mike sighed again and stared down at the floor. "...Please tell her I'm sorry..." His voice cracked slightly. "Not just for how I treated you, but..." He paused and shut his eyes, unwilling to keep going. "...But for how much of an asshole I've been about it..."

Defeatedly, Mike slumped towards the floor and hung his head, expecting Lucy to say something. What he didn't expect was for her to reach out and take his hand, smiling slightly at him. "So long as you're truly sorry, I'm sure she'll be willing to listen."

"...Well...errr..." Mike sighed as he realized she was right. "Maybe you're right, but..." His face continued to fall. "...What about you..."

Lucy paused, breaking her grip with Mike's hand. "It still hurts...I won't deny it..." Seeing Mike's pained expression, she quickly added on. "But, Sandy helped a bit and...seeing you're sorry..."

Mike hiccupped, a fresh wave of tears preparing in his eyes. "...I am Lucy...a lot more than you think..." He sobbed.

Lucy simply stared sadly, dreading what she'd say next.

Eventually Mike managed to control himself and stared up at her sadly. "...Can you...can you forgive...me?" He asked weakly.

"...Not yet." She responded forcefully. Seeing the pained expression that followed broke her heart, yet she tried to remain adamant. "It's just...it still really hurts what you said Mike...I'll forgive you eventually, but..." She gave him a weak smile. "Give it time, alright?"

Slowly, the pain of what she just said faded, yet it didn't disappear completely. "I guess..." He responded sadly.

Silently the two cats stared at each other pensively, both trying to make sense of what had just been said. When it was clear neither of them would say anything more, Mike rose to his feet, feeling he had said everything that needed to be said.

"Well..." Mike started, "Guess I'll leave you alone then..." He sighed one last time. "...I'm so sorry..."

Lucy could only watch, still kneeling, as Mike walked out of her room, shutting the door behind him. Slowly a smile began to grow on her face. Standing up, Lucy dashed over to her phone and immediately began to dial Sandy's number. The annoying dial tone played for a few seconds until finally Sandy picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Sandy." Lucy replied happily. "I'm sure you'll want to know why I'm calling..."

 **-Two Weeks Later-**

"So he really did it?" Sandy inquired.

"Yep, apologized right in front of everyone." Lucy responded. "And me...again..."

"And what'd they think?"

"Ehhh...not everyone forgave him, but..." Lucy sighed. "I think they realize how hard it was for him to actually say it."

"Well...that's good. What about you?"

Lucy paused, unsure of what to say. "Well...I suppose it's been long enough. Tomorrow's Saturday. Suppose I could head over to his house and finally tell him in person..."

"Saturday? Oh, right, forgot to tell you..." Sandy laughed nervously. "I was actually going to head down there tomorrow..."

"Really?"

"Yep...wanted to talk with you in person some more. Suppose I can finally talk with him as well."

"Speaking of which, I was wondering...what's your opinion of him?"

Sandy sighed. "It's nice to know he realized how he'd acted after I left him...I just wish that didn't have to be the cause as well..."

"Would you still...want him..?" Lucy asked cautiously.

Sandy paused, surprised at the nature of Lucy's question. "Maybe...I...I don't know. He was really nice, but...knowing he said all that to you..." Sandy sighed again. "...And I don't want to break even more hearts..."

"I suppose..." Lucy responded. "But...much as I'd like to have him, I guess I can live if he doesn't want me..."

"Hmmm...well..." Sandy cleared her throat and attempted to sound a bit happier. "Let's not try to drag each other down anymore, eh?"

"Alright..."

"So, about the visit..." Sandy started. "I...don't think there's really anything more to talk about...just felt we should get to know each other more!"

Lucy smiled slightly to herself. "Heh. I'd like that..."

"Yeah well I haven't lived in Roseville for years..." Sandy giggled slightly. "I'm sure you know a lot more..."

"Oh don't worry. I know plenty of places we can visit."

"Alright then...I was hoping we could meet in the park. Will 1 PM work okay?"

"Yeah, sounds good."

"Great! Suppose we'll see each other tomorrow then!"

"Alright, suppose I should call Mike and let him know...night Sandy."

"Night!"

Lucy sighed a bit as she ended the phone call, then took a moment to reflect. An entire day to spend with the person who nearly ruined her life and then turned it back around again. It seemed odd when she first thought about it, but quickly removed the thought from her mind. Sandy's attempts at friendship had paid off, and where Lucy might once have dreaded spending a day with Sandy, now she anticipated it.

After staring at her phone absentmindedly for a few seconds, Lucy snapped back to reality and began to dial a number she hadn't dialed in a long time. She momentarily forgot some of the numbers, but thankfully she found she still had Mike's phone number memorized.

Bringing the phone to her right ear, Lucy waited and listened to the annoying dial tone she had been hearing a lot recently. After a few seconds with no response, Lucy assumed Mike was busy eating dinner and motioned to end the phone call.

"Hello..?" Mike's voice suddenly echoed through the receiver, sounding a bit out of breath.

"Hey Mike, it's Lucy."

"L-lucy?" Mike's winded voice rapidly changed to one of nervousness. "You uhhh...haven't called in a while!"

"I thought you might like to know Sandy's coming to visit tomorrow..." Lucy replied, doing her best to sound normal.

"I uhhh...I see..." Lucy couldn't see Mike, but she was certain he was probably terrified.

"...Yeah...She'll try to meet us in the park...1 PM..." Lucy coughed slightly. "Try to be there I guess..."

"Alright...I'll...see you tomorrow then." Mike responded, trying and failing to not sound awkward.

"...Bye then..." Lucy said flatly and ended the call.

After ending the call and placing the phone on her nightstand, Lucy collapsed back on her bed. _It'll work out better in person..._ She thought in an attempt to reassure herself.

Sighing to herself, Lucy got up to turn off the light then returned to her bed. Facing the window, Lucy pulled the sheets over her and stared at the snowflakes falling past her window as she gradually drifted off to sleep.

 **-Saturday-**

Slowly Lucy began to awaken as the sun - despite being dimmed by the clouds full of snow - gradually illuminated her room. Consciousness slowly washed over her and she went from sleeping to resting, unwilling to get up quite yet.

Unfortunately the comfiness of her bed was not enough to block out a certain other discomfort. Reluctantly, Lucy hauled herself out of her warm bed and stumbled towards her bathroom, trying and failing to ignore the sudden tiredness that bit at her from the lack of a comfy bed beneath her.

After a few minutes were taken to freshen up, Lucy donned her signature pink bow and left her room to join her family at breakfast. Hardly anything interesting happened during the meal, or at least, she didn't notice anything. Lucy was far too focused on the prospect of seeing Sandy later that day.

Eventually breakfast ended shortly before the clocks ticked over to 9 AM. Suddenly Lucy found herself three hours to herself. There was no way she'd spend them by sleeping or lazing around her room. She needed something to do.

She could try calling someone other than Mike or Sandy. She hadn't talked to anyone like Paulo or Daisy in awhile. But Lucy found she had no inspiration to do so and she didn't even know what she'd talk to either of them about.

However, as Lucy tried to think of other things to do, she came up with nothing. She wasn't in the mood to play a board game with one of her family members, there was no point in taking a walk since she'd be doing a lot of walking anyway, and she wasn't willing to use the computer...if she even had one after she destroyed her old one a few years prior.

Annoyed, Lucy flopped onto her bed and stared at the ceiling. There was only one thing left she remotely considered doing: Visiting Mike's house.

Lucy sighed. She couldn't think of anything else she'd even remotely want to do. Besides, it would provide her the chance to reconcile with Mike.

With her mind grudgingly made up, Lucy left her room room and after mentioning to her family where she'd be for the rest of the day, started down the sidewalk towards Mike's house.

After a few irritating minutes of walking down the unshoveled sidewalk Lucy finally came upon her destination. She stared up at the house. The house seemed to stare back. She wasn't going to turn back, but something about the house seemed ominous as memories both good and bad returned to her.

Lucy shook her head. It was silly to think anything bad would be happening. Awkward, maybe, but Mike wasn't going to snap again, especially after he had apologized to her.

Walking up to the door, Lucy knocked a few times and waited patiently, shuffling her feet nervously as she waited for Mike or some member of his family to open the door. Eventually the door opened, revealing Mike's mom standing in the doorway.

"Oh hey Lucy!" Exclaimed his mom. "I didn't think you'd be stopping by."

Lucy laughed awkwardly. "Yeah, me neither..."

"So what brings you here?"

"Oh, just haven't talked to Mike in a while...Thought I should..."

"Hmmm, well he's up in his room right now. Want anything from the fridge?"

"No thanks, I just had breakfast."

Forcing a smile, Lucy walked past Mike's mom and up the flight of stairs near the entryway. She quickly came upon Mike's room, pausing as she prepared to knock. Taking a deep breath, Lucy knocked on the door and began to wait, flinching a bit as the door suddenly opened.

Mike appeared in the doorway as he opened the door, eyes snapping open wide as he realized who was in front of him. "L-lucy! H-hey!" He blurted out, fear apparent in his eyes.

Lucy forced another smile. "Hey..."

"Sooo, uhhh..." Mike tried his best to act normal, failing miserably. "I...didn't expect you to come over..!"

Lucy pursed her lips, staring nervously at the Korat in front of her. She wanted to get it over with and forgive him, yet hesitation clawed at her as tried to force herself to say something.

"Mike I..." Lucy paused, breathing deeply before she continued. Mike watched, holding his breath as he waited for her to continue.

"...I forgive you..."

Silence. Lucy looked down. Mike's face remained unchanging.

"...R-really..?" He asked, tiny smile appearing on his face.

"Yeah...I've thought about it for a while an- urk!" Lucy was cut off by a sudden, tight hug from Mike.

"Thank you Lucy...thank you so much..."

Lucy didn't return the embrace, but Mike didn't seem to care. He was content enough knowing she forgave him for what he had done. As the duration of the hug stretched from normal to awkward, Mike finally let go.

"So...you wanna...do anything?" Mike finally inquired.

"Well, maybe a few video games..? Like old times?"

Mike smiled nervously. "Heh, Sure."

 **-Some Time Later-**

"Oh goood...we've been playing for..." Lucy looked over to check the clock. 12:13 PM. "...four hours..‽"

Mike set down his controller and looked over to Lucy. "Sandy'll be here soon, right? Suppose we should..."

"Yeah..." Lucy motioned to get up from the floor, grimacing a bit as she stood up for the first time in four hours. "...God I'm so stiff..."

"Guh...me too..." Mike complained as he stretched out a bit before standing up as well.

Lucy stumbled over to the bedroom door, looking back at Mike after readjusting her bow. "...Ready to see her again?"

"...Maybe..."

Sighing, Lucy walked back over and put her hand on her nervous friend's shoulder. "It'll be fine Mike. If I can forgive you, she can too, right?"

Mike looked up upon hearing Lucy's hopeful words. "Yeah, I guess..."

Wrapping her arm all the way around his shoulders, Lucy led the nervous Korat towards the yet-unopened bedroom door. "Shall we?"

Mike stared at her nervously, hesitant to leave so soon. But her imploring face caused him to cave in and he separated himself from her to walk over to his closet. "Ahh fine, just let me get my coat..."

Once wrapped in the warm article of clothing, Mike and Lucy finally left his bedroom and headed down the stairs. After saying goodbye to Mike's parents, the two cats headed outside onto the sidewalk, which appeared to have recently been shoveled.

As the two friends made their way down the street towards the park, neither said a word to each other. Both felt that some things still needed to be said, yet neither had the motivation to speak up.

For Mike though, it was much worse. He fidgeted slightly, staring over at Lucy every so often. Her face was blank, yet it brought him fear for reasons he couldn't pinpoint immediately. Eventually he couldn't take it. He needed to say something.

"Hey Lucy..." Mike finally spoke up. "Was it...easy?...To forgive me?"

Lucy looked up upon hearing the curious question, but did not immediately respond. "...Well...no" She eventually admitted.

Seeing Mike's crestfallen face, Lucy continued. "But you're still sorry for what you did. It still wasn't easy, but...if you never did..." Lucy trailed off, realizing she might make him feel worse if she continued.

"Well...thanks anyway," Mike responded, "and I'm still sorry I...said that..."

Lucy sighed quietly and looked away. "...It's not all your fault Mike...I'm sorry I never tried to be nicer early on..." She mumbled, ghost of a sniffle in her voice.

Detecting a little sadness in her voice, Mike moved a bit closer and put his arm around her. "You still tried to do it eventually though, right?"

Lucy looked back up at Mike, smiling a bit upon hearing his words of comfort. "Yeah...thanks." Suddenly she paused upon realizing where she was. "Oh hey, we're here."

Mike looked up as well. The wrought iron gate to Roseville's only park was directly in front of them. Behind it was the actual park, covered in a beautiful layer of snow. A few people were present, but the cold weather meant it wasn't as populated as it normally was.

Walking inside, the two cats quickly found a park bench clear of snow. Both sat down and began to wait patiently for Sandy's arrival.

"Say Lucy, what time is it?" Mike asked after a few minutes of waiting.

Lucy shrugged. "No idea. 12:30? Neither of us have a watch."

"Hmmm. Should've asked for one for Christmas..."

The minutes continued to slowly drag on, causing boredom for both friends. Mike was starting to become quite cold from the lack of movement, and even Lucy, despite her thick fur coat, was beginning to feel a bit chilled.

Suddenly a familiar voice rang out from behind them:

"Hey Lucy!"

Upon hearing the voice, both cats turned around. A smile appeared on Lucy's face while Mike's face only fell further. Sandy stood behind them, dressed in a tan trench coat. A sunny smile was on her face, which remained unwavering as she walked over to where the two were sitting.

While Mike attempted to hide himself out of fear of what Sandy might say, Lucy got up from the bench until she and Sandy stood in front of each other. Neither said a word, as both felt a little odd at seeing each other.

"So." Sandy eventually broke the silence. "How've you been?"

"Oh...better than before..." Lucy smiled and shuffled her foot nervously. "How bout you?"

"Pretty good...Still pretty hard to get a day to myself...Pretty lucky to be here honestly, but..." Sandy shrugged. "...Guess I made it!"

"Heh, well I'm glad you're here..." Lucy's smile grew a bit, remaining that way as she began to look around absently. "So...where should we go first?"

"Actually..." Sandy's smile faded as she looked behind Lucy's shoulder. "...Something I feel I should do first."

Mike, who had remained silent up until then, suddenly jolted upwards in fear as he realized he was being looked at. "Hehe...hey Sandy..."

Lucy stepped aside, watching curiously as Sandy walked passed her over to Mike. He was clearly terrified, yet made no other move, preferring to simply sit behind the bench and do everything he could that did not involve talking to Sandy.

"...So I...heard you apologized to Lucy..." Sandy started.

Mike cowered a little further. "Yeah..." He remained quiet for a few seconds before caving in. "Oh god Sandy I...I'm so sorry..." Mike shut his eyes, dreading her next words, only to reopen them in surprise upon feeling her hand gently lift his chin.

"So long as you're sorry, that's all that matters."

"You're not...angry..?" Mike asked cautiously.

Sandy sighed. "A little..." She admitted. "But try not to think about it too much. I'm just glad you talked to her..."

Mike stared deep into Sandy's warm blue eyes, a few tears appearing in his own. Mike lunged forward, embracing Sandy in a hug while he sniffled quietly. "I'm sorry Sandy..."

The two cats continued embracing each other for a few seconds until they eventually separated. "...Thanks..." Mike eventually said, smiling nervously, but not with as much fear as before. Sandy giggled softly and gave him a warm smile in return.

"Mike, I'm not mad. Just..." Sandy bit her lip as she tried to think of a way to voice her thoughts. "...Think a little harder next time, okay..?" She finished somewhat awkwardly.

Mike nodded sadly in acknowledgement, looking down shortly after as he waited to see if anything else would be said.

"Well..." Sandy eventually started. "We still have the entire day to ourselves..." Her voice trailed off as she looked over to Lucy, who had remained silent the entire time.

"Shall we?"

Lucy smiled back. "Sure."

* * *

 **So concludes the first multi-chapter fanfic I've ever managed to complete. Merry Christmas everyone!**

 **Also, fun fact: I had this all written out and edited over a week before Christmas. That's right, I deliberately made you wait.**


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